THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD

Published purpose

December 2011 - Ethiopia is still suffering from the effects of the worst drought in sixty years, with an estimated 4.9 million people, including more than 260,000 refugees, requiring humanitarian assistance. In the worst-affected areas, in the south and east of the country, food insecurity and loss of livestock have led to high rates of acute malnutrition and the devastation of livelihoods, particularly amongst pastoralist communities. In addition, the influx of refugees fleeing conflict and famine in neighbouring Somalia has further strained the local capacity to weather the drought. With CIDA support, the World Food Programme (WFP) is helping to meet the food security needs of up to 277,000 refugees living in Ethiopia through general food distribution and targeted supplementary feeding.